South Korea tells North to stop slander, join peace efforts after Kim Yo-jong's 'clown show' jab

South Korea's presidential office responded Friday to North Korean criticism of President Lee Jae-myung's Armed Forces Day speech, stating that slanderous remarks against the government and president do not help build mutual trust. The presidential office urged North Korea to stop "wasteful accusations" and join efforts toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, while reaffirming plans to investigate a recent landmine explosion and resume inter-Korean dialogue. Earlier, Kim Yo-jong, North Korean deputy department director, had condemned Lee's speech as "the height of a clown show" and criticized Seoul's handling of the September 21 landmine incident in the Demilitarized Zone.